Element 8 – Processing – Along with recognizing the tea maker as a person who is important in the valuation of a tea due to his or her skilled decisions in the tea’s manufacture, it reasonable that those decisions should be identified as well. This brings us to the element of processing. In looking at the… // MORE

Element 7 – Tea Maker – Tea making is difficult and skilled work. So it follows that some tea makers are better than others, and variations between the products of two tea makers, even within the same factory, can be dramatic. This is because tea manufacture, especially when performed with traditional methods, involves tacit knowledge… // MORE

Element 6 – Cultivar – It should seem obvious that the genetics of a tea bush have significant contributions to the final character of a tea, however, identifying bush’s cultivar (or lack thereof) is rare in the sales of tea. The influence of tea bush genetics is so underplayed that there is even the erroneous… // MORE

This post was authored by Austin Hodge as part of a series on defining standards for specialty tea. It was originally published by the International Specialty Tea Association. Element 5 – Harvest Date When was this tea plucked? The answer to this simple question tells us many things, not the least of which include: The expected… // MORE

This post was authored by Austin Hodge as part of a series on defining standards for specialty tea. It was originally published by the International Specialty Tea Association. Element # 4 – Origin Disclosing origin is essential to authenticating a tea. So it follows that a specialty tea’s origin should be clearly labeled. As with wine, a… // MORE

This post is part of a continuing series of writings by Seven Cups founder, Austin Hodge, for the International Specialty Tea Association. The aim of this series is to detail twelve elements that can be used to authenticate and value specialty tea. The previous post, on the condition of the tea leaf, can be found here. Element… // MORE

The first element in evaluating quality in specialty tea is the finished tea leaf. The examination of the leaf tells many stories. With few exceptions, a well-processed tea leaf should be completely intact, unbroken, pristine, with wulongs being one of the exceptions. This element is the first to consider because it establishes the skill of… // MORE

There is no definition for specialty tea. The dictionary defines specialty as “ a product of a special kind or of special excellence”. The tea industry uses the word as a descriptor for tea that has no relationship to quality. The tea industry uses the word quality with just as much ambiguity as the word… // MORE

Assam is the tea-growing region that can best benefit from establishing quality standards. Known as the world’s largest tea producing region for its commodity tea, it may be hard to imagine that Assam is capable of making some of the best tea in the world.

If there was ever a sign of how sophisticated the western tea-drinker has become, it’s the large number of technical questions we now receive from our customers. Wulong tea is frequently the subject of these questions, and so to help our customers, we’ve written a short guide to its harvesting seasons and picking standards.… // MORE

We’re honored to be included in Kevin’s quarterly box. The following press release explains it all. Tucson, Arizona (PRWEB) December 23, 2014 Kevin Rose is known as a Silicon Valley guru, venture capitalist and partner in Google Ventures. In 2009 he traveled with Seven Cups founder Austin Hodge to the rainforests of Yunnan in southwest… // MORE

If you have never taken a sip of piping hot rock wulong tea and immediately followed it with a square of good chocolate, letting it melt luxuriously on your tongue as it mingles with the rich, complex aftertaste… Well, what on Earth are you waiting for? Oh, you want both flavors in one convenient recipe?… // MORE

A few weeks back, Austin clunked a pint glass down on my desk. The glass was loaded to its rim with steeping leaves – thick, stemmy, Yunnan tea tree leaves. He told me it was young sheng puer and he demanded I have a sip. I had an empty stomach, but as an employee I… // MORE

With summer well underway, it’s a good time to break out a zesty and refreshing recipe! I had never tried hibiscus tea until I began working at the tea house, and my first taste was certainly a shock — I hadn’t anticipated such a mouth-puckeringly sour flavor from a flower. My train of thought went… // MORE

While some sources allege that Liu An Gua Pian green tea was designed for political elite, and once a favorite of PRC premiere Zhou Enlai, I can’t help but feel there is something seriously anti-establishment about this tea – both in terms of its flavor and the processes that make it. The conventional template for… // MORE

The following are excerpts taken from a collection of notes authored by Zhuping on April 22nd 2014 in Wuyishan. I picked out two sections of notes that focus on two Wuyi cultivars, one very well known and celebrated, and one widely used but rarely discussed. My own comments are included in italics. Wuyi Cultivar #105 … // MORE

A Major Error In The Reporting of Longjing Prices and What the Real Prices Were in 2014 Every year there is much talk about the price of Longjing, 2014 being no exception. Most of the talk is hype, reporting the extraordinary prices that some Chinese businessman or government official has spent for Longjing. However, these… // MORE

This is excerpt from a batch of Zhuping’s notes sent back from the Wuyi Mountains a few days ago. These notes are part of an effort to pair teas in our catalog with detailed pictures of their bush varieties. I thought they were an excellent explanation of not only a specific picking standard but… // MORE

Doughnuts are the type of pastry that seem daunting, but are in fact fairly easy to make. They do take time, however; this is a recipe that is easiest when started the night before, because the separate components need time to rest in the refrigerator. Brioche is a buttery, slightly sweet yeast dough that yields… // MORE

Tea is the most commonly consumed beverage in the world, and in the western hemisphere, the majority of the tea enjoyed is black. Perhaps the most popular and recognizable variation is Earl Grey tea, a slightly smokey blend infused with the essence of bergamot orange rind, probably in an attempt to imitate the citrus-like notes… // MORE

Years ago I had the good luck to hear a veteran tea maker give a lecture on processing techniques that bracket one category of tea from another. His talk passed through great detail on the chemical contours a tea leaf and how manipulating them just so will yield a green tea versus a black tea… // MORE

Spring is officially here — Or, as most Arizonans think of it, “Summer: The Saga Begins”. It’s the time when ice creams and iced teas are coming back in vogue, and bakers are tucking away our rich, spicy, warming winter recipes and looking for something that blooms with more delicate characteristics. Swiss meringue buttercream is… // MORE

Tea is many things to many people; a beverage, a ritual, a medicine, a comfort. Whether it’s sustaining you through a busy day, bringing family and friends together, enhancing your health and wellness, or warming your body and soul, tea is a common link between many different cultures, and the way that each culture prepares… // MORE

A large part of launching our new website includes a brief (considering how intricate tea history is) scope through the history of Chinese tea. I’ve been lucky to be presented with the opportunity to sit down with our tea master and owner, Zhuping and receive a one on one history lesson of Chinese tea culture. Zhuping… // MORE

“Seven Cups Tea Blog Evolves” sounds like a pretty weighted title — as if to say some mutation has happened. It’s a challenge to think up a good title. There is no mutation, but rather evolution characterized by progress. Seven Cups is a lucky company in so many ways, and one of the most significant… // MORE

The first cup kisses away my thirst,
and my loneliness is quelled by the second.
The third gives insight worthy of ancient scrolls,
and the fourth exiles my troubles.
My body becomes lighter with the fifth,
and the sixth sends word from immortals.
But the seventh —oh the seventh cup— if I drink you,
a wind will hurry my wings toward the sacred island.